CHASING DX CQ DX Mar2025

Chasing DX CQ DX CQ DX…

DX Editor: Tony DiCenzo, KX1G, KX1G@ARRL.NET

Announced Top-100 DXPEDITIONS scheduled in March 2025

DATES	ENTITY	CALLSIGN	QSL INFO	INFO
Feb 18-Mar 4	Christmas Island #67	VK9XU	via DL2AWG LoTW after 6 mo	HF; CW SSB FT8 RTTY; 500w; 3 stations, 24/7
Mar 4-12	Cocos Keeling Is #88	VK9CU	via DL2AWG; LoTW	HF; CW SSB FT8 RTTY; 500w; 3 stations, 24×7
Mar 10-25	Andaman Is  #58	VU4X	Via M0URX	HF; CW SSB + digital; 6 station
Mar 18- Apr 1	Micronesia  #81	V6WG	WE9G; LoTW	80-6m, 160m; FT8 FT4, SSB CW; QSL via WE9G

Also expected in March: Antigua, Monserrat, Turks Cacos, Micronesia. Rodrigues Is.  For the latest info check Announced DX Operations   https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html

Results of the January Chasing DX Contest!

Demonstrating that a ham can work DXCC in as little as a month or less, four TARC members met the goal of working 100 entities in Chasing DX’s in the January contest, and will be awarded the now coveted ‘I’d rather be DXing’ mugs. They are: Jim Miller, N7JIM, Tom Phillips, NT1AP, Jack Rosen, W1JJR; and Steve Phillips, NS4P.The fifth mug goes to the ‘Best of the Rest’, K4NUM Art Wester. Honorable Mention goes out to W1BIU Paul Klebaur and KN4BAR Paul Nienaber.

March DX Contests

Details at  https://www.contestcalendar.com/contestcal.htm

• March 1-2         ARRL Int’l DX Test SSB   (A big one!)
• March 29-30       CQ CW WPX Test, SSB

The ARRL DX Contest (SSB mode) is always an excellent opportunity to work DX.  There’s also a Russian DX contest, a BARTG RTTY contest and plenty more.

Answer to the Question of the month for February

The question for February was:

A whopping 285 DXCC entities were activated in 2024. BUT it is believed that 55 entities were NOT activated …. 18 in Africa, 9 in Asia, 3 in Europe, 6 in North America, 13 in Oceania, 6 in South America, and one (1) in Antarctica.

What was prefix of the Antarctic Entity was NOT activated in 2024?

The answer:  3Y0/P

Question of the Month for March 2025

The F region of the ionosphere is home to the F layer of ionization.  There are two F levels in the region. The F₁ layer (aka as a region), the lower layer, exists from about 150 to 220 km (100 to 140 miles) above the surface of the Earth. The F₂  layer, the higher layer, exists from about 220 to 800 km (140 to 500 miles) above the surface of the Earth. The F₂ layer is the principal reflecting layer for HF radio communications during both day and night.

Two parts to this month’s question:

One,  what happens to the F₁ layer at night, and what is the effect? (Hint: You can hear Boston radio station WBZ in Chicago at some time of the day.)

Two, what are the levels of the ionosphere? [No answer will be considered wrong, as there are multiple ways to answer this question.]

There are many sources to learn about  the ionosphere, F-levels, space weather and solar conditions. A good source for the F-levels is  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F_region.  A good source of what current solar conditions are is https://solar.w5mmw.net/.  Another is https://www.spaceweather.gc.ca/index-en.php.

Got a suggestion/question for Chasing DX?? Please send it to KX1G@ARRL.NET.  

73!   KX1G